I might never have been had someone not given me a card just before launch. Then they put a call out for people to help create the lore for the game, and that was right up my alley, so I volunteered and they took me aboard. Doing that allowed me to earn a lot of the cards. I don't think I spent more than $5 or $10 on any of the collectibles at all. Most of them were earned by helping to write the lore. But they were a monetary asset and I enjoyed collecting them. I even played the game a few times ... before I couldn't. I see why it's so popular.